choosing

choosing — verb

  • choosingpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • choosings3rd person singular
  • choosinging-ing form
  • choosingedpast simple

1. the -ing form of 'choose': picking one option out of several that are available

1.動詞及物 / 不及物A2
釋義

the -ing form of 'choose': picking one option out of several that are available to you, after thinking about which one fits best.

例句

Asher spent an hour in the bookshop choosing a birthday present for his sister.

choosing + noun (direct object)

Bao kept choosing between the chocolate cake and the mango pudding before finally picking both.

choosing between + two options

同義詞
  • selecting

    slightly more formal; suggests careful evaluation

  • picking

    more informal and quick; less deliberation implied

  • opting for

    stresses preference among given alternatives

反義詞
  • rejecting

    actively refusing rather than picking

文法句型

choosing + noun

choosing + between/from + noun

choosing + which/what + clause

用法筆記

Frequently appears after time markers ('spent hours choosing…', 'while choosing…') and in introductory 'when choosing X' clauses that frame general advice. Object can be a noun or an embedded question with 'which/what/who'.

常見錯誤

❌Caio is choosing of a new phone.
✅Caio is choosing a new phone.
💡'choose' takes a direct object with no preposition.
❌Darius was choosing for a red shirt.
✅Darius was choosing a red shirt.' or 'Darius chose the red shirt.
💡use no preposition for the thing picked; use 'between' or 'from' for the options.

2. the -ing form of 'choose' used when someone decides, of their own free will, to

2.動詞不及物B1
釋義

the -ing form of 'choose' used when someone decides, of their own free will, to follow one course of action rather than another available one.

例句

Tara is choosing to walk to work every day instead of taking the bus.

choosing to + verb (deliberate alternative)

Many young people are choosing to live with their parents longer to save money.

are choosing to + verb (social trend)

同義詞
  • deciding to

    neutral; emphasises the moment of decision

  • opting to

    stresses preference between two paths

  • electing to

    more formal; common in legal or official writing

反義詞
  • refusing to

    active refusal rather than a freely made choice

文法句型

choosing to + verb

用法筆記

Almost always followed by a to-infinitive; takes no direct object in this sense. Distinguish from sense 1 (which picks a thing) — sense 2 frames a course of action as a free decision, often against an expected default.

常見錯誤

❌Ezra is choosing leaving the office early.
✅Ezra is choosing to leave the office early.
💡this sense needs 'to' + base verb, not the -ing form.

3. used in the fixed phrase 'little / not much / nothing to choose between' to say

3.動詞不及物B2
釋義

used in the fixed phrase 'little / not much / nothing to choose between' to say that several available options are so similar that picking one over another would make almost no real difference.

例句

Honestly, there is little to choose between the two job offers — the pay and hours are nearly identical.

fixed phrase: there is little to choose between A and B

Kofi said there was nothing to choose between the candidates after watching the debate.

nothing to choose between + plural noun

同義詞

文法句型

there is little to choose between A and B

用法筆記

Only appears in the negative-quantifier frame ('little / not much / nothing to choose between'). Subject is always a dummy 'there'. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 is about the act of picking one option; sense 3 is about declaring options effectively equal.

常見錯誤

❌There is choosing little between the two phones.
✅There is little to choose between the two phones.
💡the phrase requires 'to choose', not the -ing form.